Mortise frame and face plate



vMarch 19, 1957 l Filed March 18, 1955 E. L. SCHLAGE MORTISE FRAME AND FACE PLATE' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTol. ERNES L. 5CH/.AGE

BY ya MQW@ A TTORNEVS March 19, 1957 E. L. scHLAGE 2,785,565

MORTISE FRAME AND FACE PLATE Filed March 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ERNEST [..SCHLAGE MMSKMM ATTORNEYS United States Patentv O MORTISE FRAME AND FACE PLATE Ernest L. Schlage, Burlingame, Calif., assigner to schlage Lock Company, a corporation Application March 18, 1955, Serial No. 495,165

9 Claims. (Cl. 70--451) This invention relates to a device for use in adapting a door, having mortises for a rectangular lock housing, to a cylindrical or boreddn lock.

Many doors now in use `are provided with a relatively deep, rectangular mortise in the edge thereof for receiving an old fashioned, rectangular loclf. housing. Such a housing is relatively large and therefore a large portion of the door must be cut away to accommodate the housing, with corresponding weakening of the door. This rectangular mortise opens outwardly of the edge of the door and conventionally communicates with `the face thereof through small holes for insertion of the knob spindles.

This type of lock, known as a mortise lock, is usually provided with more than one bolt. For instance, such lock may be provi-ded with a spring urged latch bolt and a manually or key operable dead bolt. Because of these vertically arranged multiple bolts and the fact that the height of the rectangular housing and therefore the mortise is great, the front or face plate covering such mortise and apertured for such bolts, must be of extended length. Furthermore, such face plate is often not symmetrical with respect to the latch bolt or the rectangular housing.

ln contrast, a cylindrical or bored-in lock comprises a cylindrical lock housing and latch unit, having a barrel and a front plate. ln the usual installation of such locks it is necessary to drill only two holes; one through the door stile or face for the housing and a smaller one through the edge of the door, communicating with the rst hole, for the latch barrel.

These cylindrical locks are usually provided with only one latch bolt and the barrel is relatively small, requiring fa relatively short front plate. This front plate is con ventionally mortised into the door edge.

When it is desired to replace a rectangular, mortised lock with a cylindrical lock, it is usually found that the door has been so weakened by the large, rectangular mortise as to provide insutlicient support for the cylindrical housing and `latch unit barrel. in addition, removal of the large, rectangular lock face plate leaves a large, unsightly mortise and screw holes not covered by the front plate of the cylindrical lock latch unit.

ln order to facilitate replacement of rectangular locks by conversion to the more popular, modern cylindrical lock, the device o f this invention, generally comprising a mortise frame and face plate, is presented.

it is therefore an `object of this invention to provide a device for use in facilitating the conversion from a rectangular door lock to a cylindrical door lock.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a mortise frame and face plate combination Vfor adapting a door, `provided with `a large, rectangular mortise, for use with `a cylindrical lock.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of `a device for reinforcing a ydoor having a generally rectangular mortise therein.

lt is a further object .of this invention Vto provide a face plate for supporting a latch unit of a cylindrical lock.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the edge of a door, partly broken away, showing the device of this invention in use with a cylindrical lock;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the portion of the door of Fig. l, showing the device of this invention in elevation;

Fig. 3 is an edge elevational view of the door and device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of the device of this invention shown in horizontally spaced relationship with a latch unit; and,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 2, with the cylindrical lock housing removed.

In detail, the device of this invention generally comprises a mortise frame 1 rand face plate 2 for use in adapting a door 3, having a rectangular mortise 4 opening outwardly of the edge 5 thereof, for a cylindrical lock, generally `designated 6. As previously noted,` the rec-V tangular mortise 4, provided for the large rectangular housing of the mortise lock, is usually of such a great extent as to substantially weaken the faces 7 of the door (Fig. 5). with a mortise lock is also conventionally provided with a relatively shallow, vertically elongated edge mortise 8 for receiving the relatively large face plate of such type of lock.

In contrast, the more modern cylindrical or bored-in lock 6, with which the device of this invention is `adapted to be used, generally comprises two relatively small units which are installed in the door. Theseunits are the cylindrical lock housing 9 and a latch unit 1t). Housing 9 is conventionally provided with knob spindles 11 extending therefrom and doorknobs 12 for rotating such spindles to actuate the retractor mechanism, portions of which are shown at 13 in Figs. 1, 2.

Latch unit 10 is composed of a ltubular barrel 14 extending from a relatively short front plate 15. Plate 15 is normally apertured so that a latch bolt 16 may project therethrough, which latch bolt is connected to retractor mechanism 13 by a latch bar 17 (Fig. 2).

In mounting cylindrical lock 6 in a new door, it is necessary only to drill two small holes; one hole 18 (Figs. 2, 5) through the door between faces 7 of sucient size to pass housing 9, and another thro-ugh edge 5 of the door and communicating with hole i8 for admitting and supporting latch unit barrel 14. `lt will be noted that, when the door has been previously mortised, as at 4, little if any support remains for cylindrical locl; housing 9 or latch unit i0 in the event a conversion thereto from a Vrectangular mortise lock is desired. It is also obvious that mortise @i substantially weakens the sides ofthe door (Fig. 5) so that they will not be capable of resisting the force applied by conventional rosettes 1-9 (Fig. 3), which are applied to spindles 11 to cover hole 18.

It is for the purpose of strengthening or reinforcing the sides of door 3 and for guiding and .supporting the units` of the cylindrical lock 6 that the device o t this invention is provided. Mortise `frame 1 comprises a generally Ll-shaped memberhaving a pair of side arms 22, 23 and an endwall 24. Side arms 22, 2 3 are of a width slightly greaterthan that of mortise `4 so that upon insertion 4o f frame 1 into said mortis@ the edges of arms '22., 23 will engage and slightly dig into `thesides `oisaid mortise (Fig. 5 ln this `manner arms 22 and 23 serve to support the faces 7 of door 3 adjaeenttoopening 1S. It will benoted that endwall 2.4 of yframe 1 is slightly less in width than mortise 4 for unobstructed entry thereinto.

In addition to mortise 4, a door being ttedA The inside dimension of frame 1 is such as to receive and -support cylindrical lock housing 9 therein adjacent endwall 24 (Fig. 2). The ends of arms 22, 23, remote from 'endwall 24, are formed with ears 25, 26 which are provided with threaded apertures Z7 for securement of face plate 2 thereto.

Face plate 2 comprises an elongated member having a central aperture 30 therethrough for receiving barrel 14 of latch unit 10 (Fig. 4). A recess 31 is provided opening outwardly of one side of face plate 2 and encompassing aperture 30 for receiving the front plate l5 of latch unit 10. On opposite sides of aperture 30 and within recess 31, face plate 2 is provided with holes 32, 33 which are in alignment with conventional screw holes 34, 35 in front plate 15. Hence, mortise frame 1, face plate 2, and the latch unit 19 are secured together by a pair of machine screws 36, 37 as shown in Fig. 2.

Extending from arms 22, 23 are a pair of opposedly directed tabs 38, 39 (Fig. 4). These tabs may be formed arcuately at their inner ends and are adapted to guide and support the inner end of latch unit barrel 14 (Fig. 2).

It will be noted that in the drawings face plate 2 appears to be coextensive with edge mortise 8. ln practice, face plate 2 is constructed slightly larger' than the edge mortise 3 for a mortise lock, and such edge mortise is usually trimmed to iit face plate 2 to assure a clean exterior appearance. Although face plate 2 is shown symmetrically with respect to latch unit and mortise frame 1, it may be necessary to vertically offset said face plate in one direction or the other to entirely cover an old edge mortise.

Face plate 2 is provided with countersunlc screw holes 40 for securement to the edge of door 3 by screws 41 (Fig. 3).

In installing the mortise frame and face plate of this invention, after removal of the old mortise lock, the first step is to trim edge mortise 8 to iit face plate 2. Then the assembled unit, consisting of frame 1, face plate 2, and latch unit 10, may be inserted into mortise 4. A slight tapping on the outer edge of the face plate 2 may be necessary to drive frame 1 into mortise 4 so that arms 22, 23 are in forcible, supporting relation with the sides of said mortise. Face plate 2 is then inserted into edge mortise 8 so as to be ush with edge 5 of door 3 and secured in place. It is noted that recess 31 is of the same depth as the thickness of front plate so that face plate 2 and said front plate present a smooth iinished appearance.

I-lole 18 may then be drilled for cylindrical lock hous ing 9 and the remainder of lock 6 installed in the conventional manner.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, such is not to be taken as restrictive thereof since it is obvious that modifications could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. In combination, a U-shaped frame, having a pair of side arms and an endwall, adapted to be received in a generally rectangular mortise in the edge of a door, said frame being of sutiicient inside dimension to receive the housing of a cylindrical door lock, and an elongated face plate, secured to the outer ends of said arms, hav ing an aperture therethrough for receiving the barrel of a latch unit, and a recess encompassing said aperture for receiving the front plate of such latch unit, and means on said frame intermediate the ends of said arms for supporting such barrel.

2. In combination, a U-shaped frame, having a pair of side arms and an endwall, adapted -to be received in a generally rectangular mortise in the edge of a door, said frame being of sufficient inside dimension to receive lthe housing of a cylindrical door lock, an elongated face plate, secured to the outer ends of said arms, having an aperture therethrough for receiving the barrel of a latch 4 unit, and a recess encompassing said aperture for receiving the front plate of such latch unit.

3. In combination, a U-shaped frame, having a pair of side arms and an endwall, adapted to be received in a generally rectangular mortise in the edge of a door, said frame being of suiiicient inside dimension to receive the housing of a :cylindrical door lock, an elongated face plate, secured to the outer ends of said arms, having an aperture therethrough for receiving the barrel of a latch unit, and a recess encompassing said aperture for receiving the front plate of such latch unit, said side arms being of a greater Width than said end wall and adapted to engage the sides of such mortise.

4. in combination with a door, having in the edge 'thereof a iirst, relatively deep, generally rectangular mortise and a second, relatively shallow mortise encompassing said iirst mortise, a device for facilitating the mounting of a cylindrical door lock therein, comprising: a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of side arms and an endwall, received in said first mortise with said side arms in supporting engagement with the sides of said first mortise and said endwall spaced inwardly from the bottom of said Second mortise and an elongated face plate secured to the outer ends of said arms and received in -said second mortise, said face plate having an aperture therethrough between said arms for receiving the barrel of a latch unit of such door lock and a recess encompass ing said aperture for receiving the front plate of such latch unit.

5. In combination with a door, having in the edge thereof a first, relatively deep, generally rectangular mortise and a second, relatively shallow mortise encompassing said iirst mortise, a device for facilitating the mounting of a cylindrical door lock therein, comprising: a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of side arms and an endwall, received in said rst mortise with said side arms in supporting engagement with the sides of said first mortise and said endwall spaced inwardly from the bottom of said second morti-se and an elongated face plate secured to the outer ends of said arms and received in said second mortise, said face plate having an aperture therethrough between said arms for receiving the barrel of a latch unit of such door lock and a recess encompassing said aperture for receiving the front plate of such latch unit, the width of said side arms being slightly greater than the Width of said iirst mortise so as to dig slightly into the sides thereof, and the width of said end wall being slightly less than the width of said first mortise.

6. In combination with a cylindrical door lock having a cylindrical housing and a connected latch unit, a device for mountingsaid lock in a door having a generally rectangular mortise opening outwardly of the edge thereof, comprising: a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of side arms and an endwall surrounding said housing, an elongated face plate secured to the outer ends of said arms and having an aperture therethrough between said arms and a recess encompassing said aperture, said aperture receiving the barrel of said latch unit and said recess receiving the front plate of said latch unit.

7. In combination with a cylindrical door lock, having a cylindrical housing and a connected latch unit, a device for mounting said lock in a door having a generally rectangular mortise opening outwardly of the edge thereof, comprising: a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of side arms and an endwall surrounding said housing, an elongated face plate having an aperture therethrough and a recess encompassing said aperture, said aperture receiving the barrel of said latch unit and said recess receiving y the front plate of said latch unit, and means securing said face plate to the outer ends of said arms with said aperture between said arms, said means also securing said front plate to said face plate.

8. ln combination with a cylindrical door lock having a cylindrical housing and a connected latch unit, a device ,for mounting said lock in a door having a generally rec- 5 tangular mortise opening outwardly of the edge thereof, comprising: a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of side arms and an endwall surrounding said housing, an elongated face plate secured tothe outer ends of said arms and having an aperture therethrough between said arms and a recess encompassing said aperture, said aperture receiving the barrel of said latch unit and said recess receiving the front plate of said latch unit, means on said frame, intermediate said outer ends of said arms and said housing for guiding and supporting said barrel.

9. A device for reinforcing a door having a generally rectangular mortise therein comprising a generally U- shaped frame insertable in such mortise and having side arms of suicient width to engage the sides of such mortise, the endwall of said frame, joining said side arms,

being of slightly less width than such mortise for unobstructed entry thereinto, and opposedly inwardly extending projections on said side arms intermediate the ends thereof for supporting the barrel of a latch unit inserted between said arms.`

References Cited in the' le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

